The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent In her acclaimed debut The Cutout former CIA analyst Francine Mathews defined a world of intrigue where only the savvy survive Now in The Secret Agent Mathews propels us deep into the baffling his

Title: The Secret Agent

Author: Francine Mathews

ISBN: 9780553581539

Page: 388

Format: Paperback

In her acclaimed debut, The Cutout, former CIA analyst Francine Mathews defined a world of intrigue where only the savvy survive Now, in The Secret Agent, Mathews propels us deep into the baffling history of a maverick American s glittering life and his sudden, cataclysmic disappearance Here is the masterful story of secret agents of many kinds in a realm where truthIn her acclaimed debut, The Cutout, former CIA analyst Francine Mathews defined a world of intrigue where only the savvy survive Now, in The Secret Agent, Mathews propels us deep into the baffling history of a maverick American s glittering life and his sudden, cataclysmic disappearance Here is the masterful story of secret agents of many kinds in a realm where truth is the most dangerous secret of all.Who was Jack Roderick Trained by the OSS, Jack Roderick plummeted into Bangkok one rainy morning in 1945 and never left Silk King, pirate, ruthless collector of beautiful objects especially women Roderick was feared and respected as a foreign spy, a business kingpin, and a trader in men s souls And then, at the height of the Vietnam War, caught in a killing web of treachery and revenge that would determine the fate of his only son, Rory, Jack Roderick walked into the jungleand vanished from the face of the earth.Four decades later, can the mystery be solved International fund manager Stefani Fogg is recruited by a man whose job it is to know the unknowable Wealthy beyond corruption, impervious to romance, and equipped with a mind that can crack any enigma, Stefani signs up for the adventure of a lifetime playing Secret Agent to Max Roderick, grandson of Bangkok s long vanished Legendary American A world class skier tangled in a sordid Thai murder investigation, Max is consumed with the riddle of Jack Roderick s disappearance and with his own father s death in the jungles of Vietnam.Seduced by Max s charm and intrigued by his family history, Stefani ignores the warning signs and follows her heart But when Max s quarrel with the Thai police turns deadly and a killer strikes, she knows she must return to the place where it all began, to unravel the lies, penetrate a deadly conspiracy, and expose a killing truth She flees Max s France for Bangkok s khlongs into the ruins of the Silk King s dark past and the mesmerizing shadow of the Roderick family curse What she finds, in Jack Roderick s story and in the fate of his fighter pilot son, is an American dream that crashed and burned in the rice paddies of Vietnam and a chilling legacy that haunts our own to this day.Propelling us masterfully through half a century, from Manhattan to the Alps to the colorful and treacherous heart of Bangkok, and based on the life of American expatriate Jim Thompson, The Secret Agent is at once a murder mystery, a touching love story, and a lavishly atmospheric journey through the exotic landscape of love and history an historical thriller of the first rank.From the Hardcover edition.

1 thought on “The Secret Agent”

In a sweeping display of mixed genres, Mathews takes us from the clutches of an early version of Red Reddington (The Black List) to ice cutting ski adventure in the French Alps to Southeast Asia, where we watch a drama of intrigue, mayhem and corruption unfold over a 60 year period.Interspersed with touches of improbable but satisfying romance, this story is based in the hard realities of life in ancient societies struggling to emerge into the 20th century. A stellar effort. Five, in fact.Recomm [...]

Stefani Fogg is roped into a seemingly impossible job by Oliver Krane because she is bored as the manager of an international finance fund. She is assigned the task of getting information from Max Roderick a famous champion ski racer that has retired and is living in the French Alps. After several attempts on his life/or hers his spine is fractured and with her help he is sent to an exclusive private clinic for surgery and rehab. He sends her away although she has fallen in love with him. She tr [...]

This book is a real "sleeper," with so few reviews & mediocre ratings. Part semi-historical fiction, part espionage thriller, it held my attention right up until an interesting ending. After finishing it, I was compelled to read more about Mathews' research on the disappearance of Jim Thompson. And then one thing led to anotherThailand's history surrounding WWII, the murder of Rama the 8th & on & on. I feel as though I've just taken a crash course in Asian history, but without the wo [...]

Loosely based on the exploits and disappearance of American spy/silk king Jim Thompson, The Secret Agent moves between modern day and 1945-67. The portion deaking with the 1945-67 is infinitely more interesting and better written. The story is far more involved and the characters are far more interesting and complex (maybe because they are based on real people). The modern day part is filled with stock characters, cheesy dialogue, and annoying Dan-Brownish plot twists. If this had just been the [...]

The first book in a while that I didn't want to put down. It's not so much an espionage thriller the title implies, but the layers of personal, financial and political intrigue hooked me. The story develops over two time lines with a family link. Matthews does great job put you in the time an place of her characters.

OK, 3.75 stars. Francine Mathews redeems herself with this tale of Southeast Asia from the end of WWII through the Vietnam War and up to the end of the 20th century. The plot skips among 3 time periods and has lots of characters that are sometimes hard to keep straight, but, overall, a very good story.

The book was action packed. It started out slowly and was a bit confusing as some of the characters were hard to keep track of as the names were similiar. Story of 3 generations of men in South East Asia from WW2 to early 21st century. Lots of commentary on political environment at the time. A good read.

A fascinating story with a strong female character:) The action primarily takes place in Southeast Asia. Francine Mathews, the author, does an excellent job with character development. The pace gradually increases to the point that you cannot put the book down. So very envious of Stefani and the exciting life that she leads!

the action was swift and compelling, to the point i did not want to put the book down. however, i found the story-line of Jack Brodrick much more interesting than the Max/Stephanie chapters. the descriptions of life in bangkok was right on the money.

An interesting story - made me want to learn more about Jim Thompson. I struggled at times with keeping the different story lines and characters separate with the constant switch between past and present. Overall a pretty good book and story although I was NOT surprised by the ending.

I knew of Jim Thompson and the Silk trade. Bought a card with one of his designs. So I didn't know that this book was a romp around with his life. I gave it three stars probably deserved 2, too many characters and flashbacks. All a bit messy.

A fun summer read. A step up from a regular spy book. It's semi-historical fiction. This would be really great to read in Thailand or before you go. I learned a lot about post World War 2 and how Thailand fit into the geopolitical landscape between WWII and Vietnam.

Stephanie Fog is recruited as an agent by a private security firm and becomes embroiled in a story going back to Vietnam War. Set in Geneva, Bangkok and New York. A page turner following the quest to retrieve the inheritance of Max Roderick grandson of the silk king

Elements of the plot were a bit, okay more than a bit, far-fetched, but I did like the description of post-WWII Bangkok. In that sense, I felt the flash back portion of the book was much stronger, almost as if the modern thriller was bolted onto a decent piece of historical fiction.

Boring. I really had trouble in the "Jack" section. One somewhat irrelevant chapter of Jack spliced with one somewhat irrelevant chapter about Stafani. This is an old editors trick to create suspense and liven up a dull plot. I kept hoping it would get better, but it did not.

This is one of those books which kept me hooked but only after a certain point. I would've rated it five stars if it wasn't for the unnecessary details in the last part of the book. A great book with the perfect ending.